Graduation rhymes, poems, and songs

Preschool and kindergarten

Graduation

Like the little hermit crab, you outgrew your shell,
and now you’re ready to say goodbye. I can tell.
You’ve learned a lot of things, and when you open the next door
you’ll have new friends and a new school to explore.
Knowing and teaching you has been a pleasure,
Memories of you I will always treasure.

Copyright KidsSoup, Inc.

ABC Farewell Booklet

Print a copy of the ABC Farewell poem for each child. Cut sheets of printing paper into fourths. Let children cut out each sentence and glue to a separate piece of paper. Have children decorate the pages with crayons and markers. Assemble pages in order and staple together to make a booklet. If available, on the cover page, glue a snapshot of child.

ABC FarewellAuthor Unknown
A is for the alphabet that we learned to say.
B is for boys and girls at work and at play.
C is for colors—red, yellow, blue, and green.
D is for drawing the best pictures you’ve ever seen.
E is for exercise—it keeps our bodies strong.
F is for the fun we had together all year long.
G is for the many friends we made throughout the year.
H is for happy hearts, filled with love and cheer.
I is for imagination and all the things we learned.
J is for a job well done and the praises we earned.
K is for kindergartners—hip, hip hooray!
L is for learning more and more each day.
M is for minding and showing everyone respect.
N is for numbers—one, two, three—perfect!
O is for the obstacles we learned to overcome.
P is for puppets and for playing rhythms on a drum.
Q is for all the questions we asked throughout the year.
R is for reading stories, even those that brought a tear.
S is for all the snacks that we so bravely tried.
T is for taking and giving—no one was denied.
U is for some of the unusual things we have done.
V is for our volunteers—moms, dads, and everyone!
W is for words—we learned more than just a few.
X is for extra special kids—him, her, and you.
Y is for yes—it sure has been a super year!
Z is for zest—let’s give ourselves a great big cheer!

Preschool Pledge

I pledge to myself on this day
To try to be kind in every way
To every person big or small
I will help them if they fall
When I love myself and others too
That is the best that I can do.

KINDERGARTEN Poem

Have each child (or pair of children) hold a large letter and have one line to say. Send their line home for family members to help with the memorization.

K is for kindergarten—hip, hip, hooray.
I is for the imagination that we use every day.
N is for the numbers we know—one, two, three.
D is for drawing, the best you’ll agree!
E is for exercise to keep our bodies strong.
R is for reading books all day long.
G is for good friends—we made more each day.
A is for the alphabet we know how to say.
R is for remembering everything we learned.
T is for the treats for which we often yearned.
E is for excitement—this year we’ve certainly had some.
N is for next year—first grade here we come!

Kindergarten, here we come.
We know we’ll have lots of fun.
Lots of things to make and do.
Reading, writing, counting too.
Kindergarten, here we come.
We know we’ll have lots of fun.
We made new friends,
We learned to share,
We learned to take turns
And always play fair.
We learned some songs
And things to do,
Kindergarten was fun
The whole year through.

Twenty-six Days of School to Go
(Tune: One Hundred Bottles of Coke on the Wall)

Twenty-six days of school to go,
Twenty-six days of school
We come to school; we mark one down,
There's twenty-five days of school to go!

Twenty-five days of school to go,
Twenty-five days of school
We come to school; we mark one down,
There's twenty-four days of school to go!

To count down, let a child mark the day off the calendar at the end of the day.

Additional Resources

Graduation Poem

We’re graduating, and we know
Our lives will be different and new;
We’re going out into the world,
Our goals and dreams to pursue.

But one thing will never, ever change,
As we go our separate ways;
The friends we’ve made in school will be
Our friends for all our days.

The special ties and attachments we’ve made,
These bonds will never be broken;
We’ll continue to feel that special bond,
Though words may not be spoken.

So it’s not "goodbye," but rather "farewell;"
I’ll see you again, my friend.
Your friendship means a lot to me,
And it will never end.

End-of-School-Related Books

Biscuit's Graduation Day by Alyssa Satin CapucilliIt's Graduation Day by Grace MaccaroneHappy Graduation by Margaret McNamaraSummer's Vacation by Lynn PlourdeLast Day Hooray by Nancy PoydarMiss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten by Joseph SlateHappy Graduation by Namrata TripathiThe Night Before Summer Camp by Natasha Wing